Page 69 of Gabriel's Album

We’re glaring at each other, standing only a few yards apart. My hands are clenched into fists at my sides, and my jaw is tensed. Cooper’s nostrils are flared and he’s giving me the look that he usually reserves for Sebastian when he’s fucked up.

“Once again, I’ve already apologized for that,” I reiterate. “It won’t happen again, don’t worry.”

“You still won’t tell me where you were with her?” Cooper snaps.

“No, it’s not really any of your business,” I shrug, trying hard not to simply storm away from this shitty conversation.

“You are my damn business, Gabriel, and you’re being a royal pain in my ass right now.”

“I’m sorry for that; I’m not trying to be a pain in your ass, Cooper.”

My attempt to lighten the mood falls flat again as Cooper continues to glare at me.

“It’s that bloody girl, Ariana. Why the hell did you bring her on tour?”

We. Have. Had. This. Discussion.

After spending the afternoon defending our relationship to Ariana herself, I’m exhausted. I barely have the strength to rehash my reasoning for bringing her on the tour to Cooper, especially since we’ve discussed it in the past.

“We’d just started dating, and I was about to leave for months. So, I invited her to come along,” I shrug.

“I still don’t understand why, though, Gabriel. Surely you knew that it was going to cause issues?” Cooper begins pacing back and forth.

“I like having her around,” I inform him.

“You know she can’t stay on tour forever, though?” Cooper stops pacing to look me directly in the eyes.

“I don’t know that at all. She can stay on tour as long as she wants to be here as far as I’m concerned.” I glare at him, feeling rage course through my body at his suggestion.

“They’re all the same, Gabriel. You can’t let yourself get attached. You have to remain objective,” Cooper says.

I feel heat flare inside of me at the implication that Ariana is any less important than I feel she is or that he has any right to be making these kinds of statements about her.

“You’re crossing a line, Cooper,” I warn him.

“Fine,” Cooper says, raising his hands in defeat. “Just know this—you and Ariana have an expiry date. Maybe you don’t realize it, but it’s there.”

“It’ll be fine, Coop. I’ve got it under control,” I say as casually as I can.

My voice doesn’t betray my inner turmoil at his words. I hate that he’s managed to succinctly sum up my relationship with Ariana. I know he’s suggesting that I should break up with her, but I feel like if we can’t figure our shit out, I won’t even get a choice.

“You’d better.” Cooper looks at his watch. “Anyway, we’d better go; it’s getting late. I’m glad we had this chat.”

“Sure, it was great,” I tell him in a sarcastic tone worthy of Sebastian.

“I’m just looking out for your best interests,” he says, sounding mildly defensive.

“Of course you are,” I snort.Hisbest interests, more like. We earn him a shitload of money, and that’s all he really cares about. “I’ll see you later.”

I walk away from him and toward my dressing room. This day has been exhausting, and I still have a three-hour concert performance ahead of me. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to perform. I want to be with Ariana. I want to sleep. I want to forget the world.

There are a few people around now as preparations for the concert begin to ramp up. I hope I’ll feel like performing later; if not, I hope I’ll be able to fake it.

Everything is just getting to me—the constant drama with Ariana and the fear of her leaving. I think about what that fan said at the pool hall, that she’d be “a lot” if she were my girlfriend. Ariana is the first serious girlfriend I’ve had since our fame blew up. Is this what it would be like with any girlfriend, or is it just her? Is it simply the perfect storm of me loving her enough to care this much, combined with a woman who has the family background she has, that has led to these issues?

She asked me to bear with her. I will, of course, but it’s fucking hard, and it hurts so much. I reach my dressing room and walk inside, hearing the tap running in the bathroom when I do.

Ariana walks into the room I’m in and her eyes are red and puffy, but they look worse than before and are glistening with unshed tears. She’s obviously been crying while I was having my discussion with Cooper, and my heart aches for both of us.

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